A Thorn Loved By Apollo
by LuuBunii
Summary: The prophesized prized child of they Olympian finally born! All of Olympus watches this new child, especialy three powerful gods in particualar. This child, no idea of her anicient lineage until her mysterious best friend suddenly reappears into her life.
1. Book One: Mythology Today

I woke up to the sound of Mom cooking her eggs, as usual. They were blue, but they were _good_. That totally tops any wacky statement that anybody ever made. Every time I asked her about it, she said she learned it from Dad. Every time I asked Dad about it he said that Grams did them that way. He always interpreted that Grams cooked them like that to show that anything was possible.

I headed for the kitchen, in the general direction of the heavenly smell wafting towards my nose, and couldn't help but overhear my parents talking. I didn't want to intrude, so I tried to tiptoe away, but I caught some words they were saying.

"….Kallie…by now?" They were talking about me? I backtracked and tried to listen to what they were going to say. It was wrong, I know, but darn it, they were talking about me! Maybe school mailed home my grades. Yikes. That ought to make them talk about me.

"Why don't you think she's dyslexic?" Mom asked. Huh…? Wait a moment! She wants me to be dyslexic? What was going on? I decided to listen in; despite the fact that I knew it was wrong…and against American law, apparently.

"I don't know— you're the smart one!!" Dad wailed.

"Percy!!" Ha! Mom… She's always on Dad's case.

Dad turned somber once more. "Look, Annabeth, I don't know. Maybe it has something to do with not being directly related to them?"

"Maybe," Mom said skeptically.

I had heard enough. I ran to get back to bed without them noticing. I was still supposed to be asleep after all. During the summer, I always slept in—a luxury that many kids didn't have when school was in session. Next year was my freshman year. It was just a few short months until I start high school. It was an unnerving feeling. Time flies by too fast.

I was always winded when I climbed the innumerable flight of steps my house possessed. It didn't matter if I had practiced climbing them for thirteen years, my legs were still shaking when I got to my room. I immediately jumped into bed and tried to pull the covers over my head and blindly felt for my beloved bed mate, Lucy, my stuffed turtle. I felt nothing. A lump slowly crept up my throat. I leaned over to the sides of my bed to see if she fell over in the dead of night, result of my unconscious turmoil. Again, my search yielded no results.

"MOM! DAD!" I screamed at the top of my lungs. I didn't care if they were right outside my door, which they probably were. I was right—not a second had passed when they burst into my room wearing panicked expressions.

"What's wrong?" Dad asked.

"Lucy!!" I cried. "She's _gone_!"

Mom evidently paled. "What?" she asked sharply.

"I don't know!! I looked for her and she isn't here!!"

"Have you tried looking elsewhere?" Dad asked. I shook my head.

"Somebody stole my turtle!" I went out the door to my room, and straight into Alex, my childhood friend. "Alex!" I exclaimed, surprised.

"Hey, kid." He threw me another one of his lopsided grins. Just because he was a junior next year, he thinks he can call me _kid_. He's so annoyingly arrogant. I'll prove him wrong.

I huffed and said, "I have a _name_, Alex."

"What ever—you want to find your turtle, Kallie?"

"How did you know that?"

"Meet me at the swings," he said turning his back. "And bring supplies." He handed me a wallet. It was red and had the resemblance of a pouch with clasps.

"Kallie, was that Alex I heard?" Mom asked, her worried head suddenly popping out from my bedroom door frame. I turned to her. Didn't she see him? I turned back to inspect/glare at Alex. He was gone.

"No," I answered. "I don't think I saw him." Mom threw me a worried look.

"Alright…" She abruptly popped back in. What was she doing in there? I shook my head, and headed straight for Mom's closet. What did that dimwit mean by supplies?

I shuffled through the closet and found something hopefully appropriate to wear: a black t-shirt with a golden chariot pulled by pegasi and above knee length black capris. I pulled my raven hair back, inherited from my father, and looked myself over in mom's full length mirror. I pulled my silver rimmed glasses over my gray eyes, which were inherited from my mother. I pulled on some socks and ankle boots and I was done.

I headed towards the kitchen. In turned the wallet over in my hands. It was relatively small, with a gold clasp. I went straight to the refrigerator and pulled out an apple much larger than the wallet. I decided to try and fit the apple in, for good measure. Or just boredom. Maybe both. To my surprise, it fit. I put my hand in there as well. I took it out. Bewilderment danced across my face.

Quickly overcoming the initial shock, I stuffed the bag with some vitamins my mom kept in the closet (she called them magic), and the watch my mom always had. Next I stuffed a hand full of gold coins in and a wad of cash. I wondered why this stuff was always at hands reach, but I didn't question it. I just grabbed and stuffed. Amazingly, the wallet didn't get any heavier. It did have a strange smell though.

I went back into my room, hoping to stuff medicinal supplies when I heard a sudden noise bursting from the kitchen. It was weird, because it sounded like a…naw…A bull...in my kitchen? Then I heard another sound—a strangled yell, snort and crashing of furniture.

We were living on a grassy field, because my parents worked near here. Where, I couldn't imagine, but when I was younger, my parents moved us out here because they said they didn't want to commute. There were plenty of animals around—and the occasional bull—but they were too wide to fit in a door. I stuffed extra clothes in, closed the purse-wallet and went to inspect the noise.

See, weirder things have happened to me in the past, but never as weird as this. As it turns out, there was a bull in my kitchen. And the bull was rearing on its hind quarters battling and invisible enemy. Which wasn't possible…was it?

Suddenly Dad came roaring out of nowhere, swinging this huge blue-hilted sword out of nowhere, and screaming a battle cry. Then with uncanny precision, struck the bull down right in between the eyes, and sighed. The bull made a magical disappearance with a poof into smoke. He then seemed to concentrate on something—as he did, the sword turned into a pen that I recognized. It was the pen that never really left his breast pocket.

Then, Mom popped out of nowhere, taking off her hat. That sentence didn't make sense, but it was true. I saw her pop out of nowhere and her movements resembled a person that was taking off a hat. For further proof, she had a Yankees baseball hat in hand when she really was there. And a rather ancient looking knife, but that didn't seem to be much of importance right now, especially with her having a invisibility hat.

Mom pulled her free hand through her flaxen hair. She sighed and looked as tired as I have ever seen her. Dad came up to her and started massaging her shoulders. She closed her eyes and leaned into him and he wound his arms around her.

"Gods…"

"Annabeth?"

"Percy…this has been the third attack this week! It's frankly a miracle that we clean all this up in time before Kallie sees it!"

"Oh..." He laughed. "Don't knock the miracles," Dad said into her hair.

"I mean it."

"I know. But still, Annabeth, we live near the Camp. An attack or two is bound to happen."

"But…that level of Minotaur…"

"True…but you can't conclude all that from three attacks."

"All the attacks stronger than the next!"

"Kallie's growing up, I guess. The monsters are sensing her."

"But why now? Half-bloods are rarely attacked when they are out of Camp nowadays. _Plus_ we already stopped the Titan Lord, remember?"

"Precisely, Annabeth."

I heard Mom gasp, and that's the last that I heard of them. I got the heck out of there. They were using various names of creatures that occur in mythological references! No way could they be real. I hurriedly went towards the swings that Alex and I played on when we were kids. In those days, we were closer. Pieces of broken memories were all they were now.

He stood there, dirty blond hair shimmering in the sun, reflecting off his showy wrist watch. Of course he was wearing gold on his black shirt. It was a pretty cool abstract design, but you'll never hear it from me. A pair of grunge skinny jeans and converse sneakers completed his look. Damned his rugged good looks.

He smiled his famous crooked grin at me, infamous for unintentionally making girls weak in their knees. I scowled at him. He had answers. I mean, if he didn't, how could he have known I'd lost my turtle?

"Akantha Eumelia Jackson. Finally, you arrive."

I grimaced. My full name. Only a select few knew it. "I want my turtle, Alex."

"Such grace, from such a lady, I think."

"Shut up and give me what I want." I walked towards him, each step bringing a deep sense of dread that chilled my bones and brought my blood to a boil.

"What you want, eh?" His face darkened. "What you want to know is why the hell is things you don't even _begin_ to _comprehend _are happening to you. Why, why things that you see but refuse to believe because your parents refuse to tell you the truth."

"So what is the truth?" I asked, narrowing my eyes.

"'_Daughter of Athena_, _Poseidon's treasured_.'"

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"It _means_ you should rethink your _priorities_, Princess." As he said this is face was contorted into a half-sneer that made his impeccable features shrivel. He even almost spat out the word "princess". Even then I could tell he was holding an immense power back.

"And why is that?" I stepped back, his features frightening me ever so slightly.

I took it as a warning. You could never tell with Alex. When we were still children, my parents told me that he overreacted and accidentally hurt someone. I didn't think much of it, since they were incredibly vague, until I realized that they took my best friend away. I screamed for months after it happened. I hadn't seen him until this very day, seven entire years later.

"Because I know things!" He started pacing. "I know things I don't even want to know, unthinkable things that happened because of an accident that happened, something I didn't even want." He stopped and looked at me, with a smile that made my skin crawl. "And your turtle: the one your parents gave to you holds the absolute key to your future, because it holds your destiny: it holds your life line, your essence, and without it, you would die."

"And you are helping me because?"

"I was sent to help you."

"By whom?" His handsome features restored themselves at this mention.

"By the Gods."

"The _what_?"

He sighed. "Didn't I just tell you to rethink your priorities? The Gods are _here_ Kallie," he said, reverting to my nickname. "They are alive and well, following the height of civilization wherever it may be, hiding within the human race, passing off as incredibly powerful and influential mortals."

"And where are they now?" I asked.

"America of course."

"And Olympus?" Hey, a giant Minotaur just ransacked my kitchen, my beloved kitchen with my blue eggs that I hadn't even eaten yet, and parents at home, worrying themselves to death about me, because they personally saw the things that go bump in the night. I want answers, damn it, even if they didn't sound exactly sane.

"It's above the Empire State Building."

"Naturally," I said casually, as if I was used to this whole ordeal.

"And what does that have to do with you? You see, your 'honest' parents never told you were that they are in fact demi-gods, half bloods that could exert incredible power if not properly contained. Half-bloods are sired by full gods, as the name suggests. But what is unusual about you is that you are a demi-god, formed by two demi-gods."

"Poseidon and Athena."

"Correct."

"But…I thought Athena was a Virgin Goddess."

"Apparently not." He gestured towards me. "Living proof."

"And I thought that Poseidon and Athena had some sort of hate for each other."

"They did."

"They resolved it?"

"Yes they did."

"So…my parents were a union of two gods holding a grudge?"

"Unfortunately for your parents, the dispute was not to transpire before they got married."

"So what happened?"

"They were punished."

"H-How so?"

"I am not at liberty to tell. Not yet."

"So what are you at liberty to tell?"

He did not reply. I sighed. He was making this incredibly difficult, which was increasingly annoying. "Where are we going, first of all?"

"The Sea of Monsters."

"Currently known as…?" I trailed off. If he said that the Empire State was Olympus, there should be a modern version of the Sea too, something mortals would never see and only make excuses for it.

"The Bermuda Triangle…Boy, do you catch on fast."

I shrugged. "So who sired you? Who is your patron God?"

He turned and started walking away. "All will be explained in due time."

In fact, "due time" turned out to be a rickety old boat (which I named Salem) that was large enough for five, but small enough for one to be claustrophobic. Even though it looked shabby from the outside, once you looked past the Mist, you could see it was really a grand boat, gold trimmings, cozy cabin, the works.

He gave me a crash course in "Mythology Today." Mist is what shields mortals from seeing real monsters roaming around in the street, which, there are apparently enough of them to do so. The gods disguise themselves as normal people but you can always tell them apart with their aura of power surrounding them. Monsters can sense incredible power, and since they are result of small evils, they go for these powerful people, be they Gods or demi-gods. These monsters also don't die: they go poof and regenerate, like in my kitchen earlier today. The strong half-bloods are watched over by satyrs, half goat-men, who take ready half-blood warriors to Camp Half-Blood for training. Then that was it.

Alex returned to his cabin, since the ship magically sailed itself, and his last parting words consisted of telling me to be wary of monsters, especially since Odysseus barely made it out of there alive. Oh, right. The Bermuda Triangle, where all the strange "occurrences" happened was really because of all the things that Odysseus experienced in the _Odyssey_. He expected me to fight against Cyclops of Old and Circe and all that stuff?! I mean…I haven't even been to camp yet! What a genius he is, huh?

Then again…on the ship was a full armory.

I leaned against the sides of the ship, daydreaming about all the stuff my parents had experienced, all the heartache and suffering they had to go through to become the people they are today. (Alex also told me that Mom and Dad are regarded as eternal heroes at Camp Half-Blood.) I wondered if I would ever be like them someday. And now…suddenly, school seemed pale in comparison to everything I've learned today. And the day still hasn't even ended yet. It isn't even lunch yet.

"We're going to skip the Polyphemus and Circe and the Sirens. What we need to concentrate on is to get to Sylla and Charybdis," Alex began later that day, after lunch. (Which was packed in the wallet-purse Alex gave me.)

"How does that work?" I asked. "Don't people need to get past all three?"

"No. See, Percy, your Dad, escaped Polyphemus when he was about your age, pretending to be Nohbdy and because he later sunk your dad's ship, now Polyphemus thinks that he really did defeat Nohbdy. It's risky with him, because I'm betting he still is gloating about that to his sheep. Circe and the Sirens….well….I'm sure you are familiar with them.

"See, no Charybdis is our main concern. If we toss in one some food, she'll be too busy eating that to eat us. We're all the same size to her. So she'll just spit us out into a remote location that only be reached by being spit out by the giant mouth."

"Won't we be torn apart?" I asked worriedly.

"No. See, Hermes gave us this boat. I'm sure that this—"

"Is Hermes your Dad?"

"—will with stand her. If not, then we'll be on the island anyway. It's a magical island, so we're okay," he answered confidently. See? Him and his pompous attitude. _Hubris. _Isn't thathow Odysseus almost got killed again in the first place? I swear, if something doesn't kill Lucy, this guy will kill me first.

"Get ready, Kallie!" he shouted over from port side. "There's going to be a heavy level of mist here, so keep your eyes peeled!"

As soon as the words left his mouth, the fog descended upon us. It was like trying to breathe through a book. It was so thick I couldn't even see my hand in front of my face. Pfft. Eyes peeled my backside.

Well, you know in novels, a character says something like "Glad that's over!" and the most powerful monster comes out to have them for lunch? Well, that's what happened. We were suddenly bombarded with flying bugs, my ultimate phobia after spiders. And the Mist didn't even lift yet. I swatted and swatted, stepping back with each swipe and eventually backtracked into Alex, who was evidently doing the same thing.

"Into the cabin!" he yelled over the incessant buzz of insects swarming. It was simply a miracle that we didn't get stung to death. Like Dad said, don't knock the miracles. Once we managed to get into the cabin, we exhaled a sigh of relief. My relief was short lived, however.

"We're nearing Charybdis, now."

I swiveled around so fast I heard a whoosh in my ears. "No way! We have to pass the Island of the Cyclops first! And what about Circe? And Calypso? And Lotus eaters? What about all of them?"

Alex smirked. "The mist takes us where we want to go first. It doesn't care. It's dangerous all around anyway…" He paused and gave me a genuine smile. Why didn't that freak me out? "You know your mythology, don't you?"

"Future anthropologist in the making— I'm guilty as charged." I tried not to smile at his praise.

"Anyway…when we get there, Lucy should be----" We heard a loud crunching noise. It sounded like it was the boat. Oh…great…Scylla. We got her first. "Don't fret; we should be heading into Charybdis waters soon." I think that was a vain attempt at a joke.

Being sucked into a whirlpool isn't as fun as you would think. It's a rush, yes, but imagine spinning slowly and yet very fast—like it was entirely in slow motion-fast, and then spit out at a thousand miles per hour, skin plastered against your bones. It's a horrific thrill.

We landed on an island, just as Alex said. It was paradise…especially since I couldn't find him anywhere. It wasn't fair. The one time I need him, he isn't here. The Gods seem to have a twisted sense of humor.

It was amazing though.

I was surrounded by palm trees at my left, and the clear blue ocean shimmering and laughing with all its majestic beauty. The sun was about to reach its zenith and cast a bright radiance over the whole island, shining it's brilliance into seemingly every crevice available.

I walked all around the island, searching for any sign. It was then I saw the caves. I went in, and then saw Lucy lying there, which was great. I immediately picked her up. But apparently, it was booby trapped. As soon as I picked it up, a dozen Alex's popped up. My worst nightmare. Great. I was going to get annoyed to death.

Each one was tied to a chair and screaming at me from all sides. He—they were all crying for help and telling me to release him. Each one seemed to have been tortured in different ways and some were even joyous at seeing me, expecting relief from the horror. It really helped that we were in a cave and each sound was echoed and bounced back louder than ever.

In the end, I just ran out. I felt really bad running out like that, I mean, even though I vehemently express my feelings about him, he was still a human being, a living breathing thing with feelings. I clutched Lucy and welcomed her familiar warmth.

"Kallie?" I heard Alex say. One Alex. I turned around. There was Alex in all his blazing glory and grinning. No scratches, burns, or inanimate objects protruding from his eyes face…I wanted to cry and hit him for all it was worth. "I knew you were smart enough to not to untie any of those guys in there."

"What?"

"It was a test, Kallie! A test of wits. How did you know they weren't me?" He started talking really fast now, becoming excited. "I knew you were the right one! If you had untied one of them, you would have destroyed yourself!! All of them would have explo—Hey, Kallie? What's wrong?"

My pride wouldn't let me answer and my heart screamed at him. I settled for middle ground and bawled my eyes out. "I….hate…you…stole……my…turtle…and…" Oh, while I was in the cave I figured out he stole my turtle. He got into my house many times before, when we were kids, so he still could have gotten in, anytime he wished.

He grinned and hugged me. "Dear cousin of mine, would I ever mean to hurt you?"

I slapped him on the arm. Then I realized something.

"Hey…how are we going to get home?"

He shrugged. "Easier then how we came."

Great. If my internal map was correct, two giant clashing rocks and we're home. Peachy keen. Stupid Alex.


	2. Book Two: The Real Alex

**Book Two:**** The Real Alex**

I looked at Alex and groaned. He was trying not to laugh. I glared at him through puffy eyes, and to tell you the truth, that really doesn't have that wanted effect people want. It makes people laugh even more. Why? I do not, for all the love in the world, know. That twit even had the gall to look _bemused_. Gods, how I wanted to punch him!

The funny thing about Alex is, even with the seven years separation, he didn't change all that much. He still put a tough exterior; he still had a soft side. I mean…his face practically glowed when he saw me with Lucy—alive and all in one piece. I know he was a kid inside….which really made me wonder…was what the heck made him this way? What happened in his life that made him so unable to let his guard down that easily?

Mom, Dad, and Auntie Aleta made me promise not to tell his friends what happened to him. I didn't know anyway, so it wasn't much of a problem. Even still, I hated lying to them. He was my older brother, of sorts, so I knew most of his friends. They treated me like their little sister too. So they believed me, what ever I told them about Alex. I felt so bad afterwards. And I didn't even know what I was lying about!

I glared at him, even more this time. His laughter rang across the vast expanse of the island. Angrily, I went inside the lush forest, exploring deeper into the island, until I found a comfortable place to rest and close my eyes. Not surprisingly, Alex followed. But my anger soon vanished.

As I pushed the gently pushed greenery out of my sight, I tried to take in every little detail of this forest. We might be here for a while, and I for one did not want to get lost—or worse. It was a breathtaking sight. It wasn't like a rainforest, thick vines and canopy all over the place, but it was rather close. It was pretty humid, but not enough so that I couldn't breathe. Averaged sized rocks were randomly strewn about, as if the Gods themselves cast them as die. (Actually, for all I knew, they could've.) Every nook and cranny seemed to be a worthwhile place to explore. The trees seemed to be a veil of mystery, every time you pushed past one; you seemed to find an even more intriguing sight behind it.

In the end, I found a beautiful clearing, right in the middle of the island. (At least I assumed it was in the middle…) I found a humongous rock to climb and sit on, and marveled at the total beauty before me. A waterfall to the side of the glade made a serene sloshing sound, making a layer of mist surround the finish of its falling liquid. The rocks made a semi-circle right across the waterfall, around the small lake that the clear droplets fell into. A rainbow fit snugly into the scene, starting from halfway into the waterfall and into the middle of the lake.

Smooth green grass grew all around the lake, and the only sign of it stopping was the cliff the waterfall was perched upon, a giant apple tree a little ways from the waterfall, and a couple of berry bushes nearby. The twittering of birds and other signs of live surrounded me from all sides. I couldn't even speak for a couple of seconds.

Alex climbed up beside me. Like when we were kids, I couldn't stay mad at him, no matter the reason—however trivial they were. I looked at him and he beamed at me. "So you like this pace?" he asked. He sounded excited and joyful, sensing my emotions.

I smiled at no one in particular. "Yeah…" I said dreamily. "How did this get here? It's so beautiful…"

His laughter rang across the vast expanse of the island. "Places like this used to exist on Mother Gaea along time ago, but mortals have done such damage that she could only sustain a couple of places like this in one dimension of space. This is what this place is," Alex explained. "When the Titan Lord exiled the Monsters Mother Gaea first birthed, the Sea of Monsters was thus created. So when Lord Zeus freed his ancient brethren, they had a place to live. Beautiful places like this were also in the Sea; you just have to know how to get there. Although, I do admit, it is a tad risky."

I stared at him in silent interest, until a question came to mind. "Isn't the Sea supposed to hold dangerous obstacles? This beauty seems too good to be true. Beneath this is a more dangerous place, isn't there?"

His smile grew wider. "You're right on the nose, Kallie. This place in general isn't dangerous, but what it holds within, depending on how it is used, is. For demi-gods like you and I, we can come here and bask in all its glory. But like I said, it is rather dangerous path to get here."

"That still doesn't answer my question, Alex."

"Yes, it does," he argued.

I looked at him blankly.

"You see, this place is a sort of quest for you to begin your life as a demi-god. You have to complete certain tasks, or quests, to become fully capable and in control of your powers and abilities. Think of this as a videogame—"

"I don't play videogames," I interrupted. He continued anyway.

"—to become a certain level, you need to have a certain skill level, items, etc. to reach the next level of demi until you complete all the stages."

I nodded. "Then what happens? Push 'restart'?"

He laughed. "No, you go to Camp Half-Blood."

"I think I heard my parents say something about a camp, but I'm not sure it was that one."

"It's probably the same camp," he said, nodding.

"What do you do there?"

"You go there during the summer and train your warrior skills. You have a necklace and you add a bead ever year you are there. During the summer you can stay as well."

"Did you…" I paused. "Do you go to Camp Half-Blood?"

His expression changed dramatically. It went from kind teacher to ferocious beast in and instant. "Yes, I did," Alex spat.

I chose to ignore his reaction. "How long were you there?"

He sighed and reached under his shirt, pulling out a gold cord. I went up close to him and studied the beads carefully. I reached up to his neck and counted the beads, marveling at their smooth texture. Then my eyes widened. Hanging from it were seven beads, shimmering in the sunlight. Exactly the years he was away from home…away from me. Using the underlying anger at his absence I didn't even know existed until that very moment, I decided now was as good a time as any to ask him what had happened.

"Alex?"

"Yeah?" he asked, still looking down at the top of my head.

"There are seven beads on here."

He visibly stiffened. "Yeah, there are."

"It's the same number of years you were away from home."

"That's not my home."

I backed away from him, angry. "How could you say that, Alex?! It _is_ your home! You know it is!"

"No it's not!" he shot back. "Do you know how much pain I went through when I was there? Mom's a mortal! She didn't know how to deal with the power! I almost killed her Kallie! My _mom_! Do you know what that did to me?"

I was silent, trying to keep my head.

"No, you don't!" he screeched. I could see a faint glow around him, his power threatening to burst. "The police soon found out, and if it weren't for your dad, I would have been in jail and killed more people! My so called father didn't help me, mom didn't know what to do; she didn't even _know_ there _was_ a bloody camp to begin with! I had to find out all on my own, and all in one day. The only people that helped me were your mom and your dad!"

By this time I was sick of his bellyaching. "Okay, so you didn't have help!" I screamed back at him. "It was hard for you? Do you know how much pain Auntie Aleta was in after you went missing? Mom and Dad weren't couldn't even console her! Every night she would come to our house for days on end, crying herself to sleep, saying it was all her fault that you got taken away!" I was beside myself. I didn't have much right to be angry at him, but I got angry anyway. "You couldn't even have left a message for us? Seven years, Alex! Not _one_ stupid message!" I was on the verge of tears. "You couldn't even leave one message? I missed you! You were my best friend!"

Alex looked startled. "Were?"

"How could I know you didn't change?" Tears were streaming freely down my cheeks. "How could I know that you were still you? Seven years is a hell of a long time to have no contact Alex!"

"Because I wasn't sure, Kallie…I wasn't sure if…if everyone would understand. What if they all hated me because of what I was? What I could do? What could I do, Kallie? I was afraid. Kallie….what if you hated me?"

"Alex! You were my best friend! I could never hate you! Despise you to no end, maybe."

"Kallie, you have no idea."

I still had the feeling that he was still holding something back. I sighed and resolved to ask him another day—this took a lot out of me already. Feelings got brought back to the surface after a couple of years, and my tear ducts were officially empty as of today. I wiped the tears off my face again, for the second time that day. Alex saw my expression and his face fell.

"Kallie, I-I…" he stuttered, failing to form his words.

I looked at the ground and said in a low voice, "Yeah….whatever." I waved my hand up and down too show indifference.

But Alex was smarter than that. "Kallie, I certainly will not forget it! Now you listen here—"

Still looking down, I said, "Alex…just……Just...forget it." I strode off, exploring deeper into the dense forest.

"Kallie," he screamed after me. He followed me once again.

At that moment, I _seriously_ didn't care for him. The fact that he was following me didn't help it either. He just can't apologize when he stirred up all those feelings! Sure, I _did_ point out his necklace in the first place, but he didn't have to answer like that! Granted, I shouldn't have either. On some level, I am right; but on another level, Alex is the one who is right. But I was the one who was angry and hurt right now, so deal.

"Kallie, wait!" he shouted. "I'm sorry!"

At least he got the words out this time.

"Kallie!!" he screamed vehemently.

I couldn't take it any more. His voice was nails on a chalkboard, beginning to grow hoarse from all the screaming. I didn't want him to strain himself. No matter how mad at him I was, he was still my best friend, despite what I had screamed earlier. I could be mad at him anytime anyway. I won't scream; he'll scream too and then it'll be bad for his throat. I'll quietly show my anger. I spun around, eyes flaring—but my expression was of a kind one.

I walked up to him. Alex, taken off guard, stopped. He even stepped back a little. I reached up to his throat and ran my fingers over it. Every breath of air I could feel in between my fingers; every swallow jumped to my fingertips. I looked up at him and he stared right back at me, eyes aflame. His right hand reached up and grasped me, holding my wrist firmly, taking it off his throat. Good thing too; my hand was beginning to prickle as if it had been slapped a multitude of times.

"Kallie," he said, stating my name.

"Alex…" I began.

"I'm sorry," we both said at the same time. Then we smiled.

"I'm sorry I was such an ass," he whispered.

"I'm sorry I called you a prick," I whispered back. We continued the rest of the conversation in hushed tones, for whatever the reason.

"You didn't call me a prick."

"You don't know that." I looked at him with determination, realizing that the only thing separating us was Lucy. Poor thing was close to being a pancake.

He smiled again, for the millionth time, and then nodded. I wonder if he was thinking that I was backing off. "Kallie?" he asked.

"What?" I asked. I lowered my head to adjust the position of Lucy, making her more comfortable. By proxy, my head hit the bottom of Alex's chin. Rather painfully, I might add. My sudden movement and sort-of head butt totaled his balance on the intermingled tree roots of the forest floor and he fell over. His hand was still holding my wrist, and him being a whole lot heavier than I was, pulled me down with him. It was a flurry of movement, sound and senses. I let out a tiny scream escape from my lips, and before it was completely let out, I had landed on the forest floor.

You see, I had never landed on a forest floor until now and I wasn't sure how it should feel. Since I did see the roots I thought it would be a whole lot bumpier. I also wasn't sure if the forest floor was supposed to talk. I mean…we are in the realm of the supernatural. And talk it did.

"Kallie?" asked a voice sounding below me, muffled and groaning in slight pain. I froze.

"Yes? W-Who are you?" I asked shakily.

"I'm Alex, dummy."

"You _what_?!"

"You know! The prick."

"What?!" I looked down. My face was a centimeter apart from his, once more. The difference was that I was on top of him now. "Oh my gods!! I'm so sorry! I must have….Oh, Alex!! Are you alright?!" I was talking really fast. "You must have been crushed by my horri—Alex? Are you dying? Oh my gosh, am I really that heav—"

"Kallie!" Alex said, not screaming. Instead, he was almost laughing. "No you aren't heavy, but can you get off of me now?"

I hadn't realized I hadn't got off of him yet. "Alex! Of course, right away!!"

As I tried to get away, I tripped over my own feet and tried to brace myself for the fall. But then I remembered something my teacher once told me: in car accidents, the passengers who aren't drunk are usually the ones to die or get injured because they brace themselves for impact, putting pressure on themselves, so the force of the impact is much heavier, doing more damage. The ones who are drunk don't brace themselves, walking out of entire accidents unscathed because they don't know what the hell was going on. I tried to switch positions and then tried to switch back, for what ever reason it was. My arms ended up flailing.

Luckily, Alex caught me in time, arm around my waist. He was midway between a person who was trying to get up from off the floor and a sitting position, leaned over towards me, trying to catch me. His face bore an amused smile.

"Are you okay?" he asked, laugher evident in his eyes.

I looked defeated. "Yeah…I am…I guess." I sighed as I heaved myself off his arm and into a sitting position, Lucy held fast in my arms. "You said something about levels, Alex?"

He nodded. "Your turtle was the first step. Now you quite literally have your own life in your own hands."

"So what is the next step?"

"To find your staff," he answered ominously.

**x-:Luu:-x**

_**A/N:**__ Thank you to all my reviewers!!! And 73 hits!! I'm very grateful! _

_This chapter is shorter than the first one because: _

_1) I want to be like a real novelist and write chapters that vary in page lengths and such._

_2) This chapter was a kind of filler-ish…thingie._

_3) I didn't want to type that much this time. :/_

_This chapter was a writer's block for me, so I ended it before it got…bad. _

_I'm sorry for writing such a bad chapter. ;-; _

_**DuchessofPhilly **__and__** Anonymous**__: Thank you!! -_

_**Pecbeth101:**__ Anything I can do to make it better?_

_**dreamgirl555:**__ Thank you for reviewing! Actually, this story is set into the future and the main character is Kallie. She is Percy's and Annabeth's daughter, with a turtle. The turtle will be explained more later on! I hope you'll keep reading!_

_I hope all of you will keep reading and supporting me! _

_Thank you all again for the wonderful reviews and hits! _

_Keep critiquing me so I can make my writing more enjoyable!!_

**--..::Yuki::..--**


	3. Book Three: Drastiriortita, Emmeno and

**Book Three:**** Drastiriortita, Emmeno and Fishies**

Lucy looked up at me with her glittering eyes as they had done for years. My turtle, my stuffed turtle, held my life. That sounds weird, doesn't it? It sounds weird, even to me. I mean…gee.

You see, my philosophy is that everything on Earth—or Mother Gaea—has a soul, inanimate or not. I believe a rock has as much feeling and thought as a cat, a dog, or a human. So I believe that Lucy, my Lucy, will take care of my life well. She would be one of the first ones I would trust to hold my life in the first place. Unfortunately, the way Alex explained it, it seemed as if I wasn't going to hold Lucy in my arms ever again.

"You see, Lucy will be your Vessel," he had explained earlier.

"And that means what now?"

We were still seated on the roots we were previously on—neither of us had bothered to move.

"When someone like you has a Vessel, it means that something else has your life in their hands. In your case, your Vessel is Lucy. Your Vessel is _very_ important. I can't stress this enough. It will hold your life and your power. Your power will be molded into it, and it will be your medium to exert your power. No matter what form your Drastiriotita may take, your Medium will always be in it. Your power will grow over time, and with your Medium, your power will always be in check. "

"Pardon?"

"Drastiriotita. It means "energy" in Greek," Alex explained further.

"Oh. Why couldn't you just use that then?"

"Why shouldn't you?"

"Oh shut up."

"Bite me."

I groaned and decided to switch the subject. "So what's out next step?"

"You have to get your Emmeno."

"Stop with the Greek!!" I said, exasperated.

"But it is what they're officially called, Kalle."

"So how do we get it?" I asked as I stood up.

Alex stood up with me, even helped me to my feet. He was still my big brother after all. He knew that I was clumsy, and being quick of temper sometimes, like my mom, didn't exactly help me. But I was calm when I wanted to be, just like my mom. People even ventured to call me the "Mini-Annabeth", since I looked and acted almost exactly like her, minus the blond hair.

"This is your first step. You have to climb to the top of the mountain."

"What mountain?"

"That mountain." Alex pointed to a mountain that wasn't too far off. It seemed to suddenly appear. I guess mountains can suddenly appear out of nowhere now. This place never ceases to amaze me.

"And that's it?"

"Without dropping your turtle."

"And…?" I knew something bad was coming. Alex's face didn't betray any emotion, but there always is something bad at times like these.

"You'll just have to see," he replied.

"How ominous," I replied sarcastically. "How do you know all this?"

"The Gods sent me."

"But…" I started to say worriedly, but my voice caught in my throat.

"Kallie, I'll answer that when you come back down." Alex smiled reassuringly.

I admit, grudgingly, that when those words escaped from his lips, fear pierced through my heart. "You…you…you're not coming with me?"

"No, I'm not," he answered calmly. "I'm not allowed to help you get through your tests; I'm just here to watch over you."

"My own special paladin," I laughed nervously. I clutched Lucy closer to my chest. "Alex?"

"Yeah?" I ran up and hugged him. Or should I say slammed into him? "Oof!"

"Wish me luck?"

"Good luck."

"……"

"What?" he asked, then laughed. I smacked him on the arm and went on my way. He smiled and waved. Smug bastard.

I walked and walked, Lucy reassuringly by my side. As I kept walking through the forest, the scene drastically changed from lush forest to dry and rocky. It was still beautiful, but not in the popular, traditional sense. Rocks were plentiful more here than ever. Dry underbrush could be seen for miles. Random sprigs and dry twigs were plentiful as well.

I looked at Lucy dubiously. "What do you think Luce?"

Lucy winked at me. I stared incredulously back, and then shrugged. Stranger things have still happened. (Take being hacked up by a giant liquid mouth for example. Add the fact that the mouth had rotten teeth and gingivitis. Doesn't that just make you all fuzzy inside?)

I just wish Alex gave me some encouragement. I mean, he _is_ my best friend and all. Not even a little tiny word from the silent one. Although, the Gods probably didn't permit him from spilling anything, so he would have gotten punished for telling me anything that wasn't absolutely necessary or something. I've heard that could happen…maybe he'd get chained to a rock…and every day he'd get eaten by this mean looking vulture and….and my mind was straying again. (Besides, that was Prometheus.)

"I'm hopeless, aren't I?"

Lucy looked at me with determined eyes.

"Your right, Luce, I've got to do this."

I nodded and took a deep breath. I proceeded to climb the treacherous hill that I really, really hoped was the right hill. I think I was right, since I found a cave not far off. I walked in to the dark dank cave, straining my eyes to see, to penetrate through that veil of darkness. With the little light struggling to make it into the cave, I thought I saw shimmering, reflecting off some foreign substance.

"Princess," a tinkling voice sounded, echoing inside the cave. When I didn't respond, the voice tried again. "Princess," it called, voice flowing like music.

"Who are you?" I hoped my voice sounded brave.

"I am Neriel." The voice steadily grew louder, getting closer. It came out of the water, walking upon land with astonishing grace, beckoning me. "Do not be afraid, young one."

"Who are you?" I repeated.

"I am a spirit element."

"What is a spirit element?"

"It is what you hold within your heart, the force of your power, the natural element you hold within your grasp, which will bend to your will."

"So…what are you?"

"I am a guiding spirit, young one—I am _your_ guide. I am the nearly physical form of what power you hold, the Guardian Element," she said. (I'm guessing it was a "her". I'm not calling her an "it". Besides, her voice sounded extremely feminine.)

"Are you the Vessel Alex was talking about?"

"I will help you and help train you, Akantha, to achieve your full potential."

"But what about Alex? I thought he was going to help me!"

Okay. I'll admit. Losing Alex a second time is not my favorite past time, you know. He's my big bro and I love him, in an oh-gosh-I-love-him-but-the-totally-traditional-brother/sister-kind-of-way thing. Either way, he was important to me. If Neriel helped me, what would Alex do?

"All will be explained, Akantha," she replied.

I groaned. "You sound just like Alex."

Neriel laughed. Her laughter was beautiful, like the soft bubbling of river. "All in due time, young one." She paused. "But first, you must prove your worth. Prove yourself as a hero so you may be worthy of my help."

She sounded like nothing you've ever heard before. It sounded wise and knowing, ancient knowledge always gathering in her mind, always twisting to the sound of rushing lakes and the crashing of the ocean—depending on her mood, I'm guessing—and her voice was vibrant and solid, but without a form to bind, as free and flowing as the water itself.

"What must I do?" I asked, determined.

She came up to me, and took my hand. I gasped. Her hand was freezing cold, I could tell, but it felt oddly warm. It was then did I faintly see the being that was speaking to me.

The most astonishing part was that she looked like a ghost—half formed, half not, almost threatening to fade into the shadows. She seemed to be made of flowing water, hair moving slightly as if the water currents followed her wherever she went. Her hands bore gloves made of flowing ice, pure white and frozen. Her eyes were a dazzling light sapphire, speaking volumes for Neriel even when her lips never moved. Her whole body seemed to be a light, transparent-but-solid baby blue. The beautiful being of energy started to pull me towards the little lake from which she emerged and I started to protest.

"Wait, wait! Neriel, I can't breathe under—" I couldn't speak anymore, I was fully submerged. I started kicking and screaming, trying to breathe in air. I closed my eyes, trying to shut out the choking image of water.

_Princess!_ A voice sounded inside my head.

I stopped trying to scream for a second and looked wildly around.

_Yes, that is it, my lady. Be as calm as the water. _I heard Neriel tell me.

"Neriel?" Did I just talk? Woah.

_I am here. _Neriel answered.

"I'm talking."

_Yes, you are. _She laughed, and the lake seemed to move with her.

"But…but…how?" I asked, bewildered.

My clothes weren't soaked. They were in fact, very dry. I could swim with ease, and could see everything in plain sight. And I mean _everything_. My glasses weren't fogged up, and it securely stayed on my face. Even then, I could see everything, even to the tiniest fish. I saw it and it looked at me, momentarily stopping in its tracks, and waved its fin. I waved back, albeit a bit slowly, out of astonishment. I felt stronger, faster, braver. I felt like I could do so much in the water.

_The power of the water is with you, my lady. _

I saw some more fish and they swam around me, doing a little dance of happiness. They were different colors, each of them. They looked alike enough, but one was solid blue, one had a rainbow horn, another spots.

_Welcome Princess! _one said while swimming.

_Yes! Yes! Welcome!_

_Finally, you have come! _

_Now, now. We still do not know, _Neriel said, gently chiding them. But her eyes glinted brightly, suggesting otherwise. She then turned to me. _We have work to do, Princess._

I nodded, unable to speak. I started to follow Neriel, who was swimming towards something. I turned to the little fishes and waved goodbye. (They waved back, and cries of _Good luck, Princess! _rang in my head.)

She led me to a wall. I looked at the water creature confusedly.

_Forgive me. _

That was all she said before I realized anything. She had pushed me into a hole I didn't notice. I fell quickly, the darkness not surprising—I had no time to process it. As I was falling, I spotted Neriel's face, looking devastated, tired, apprehensive and proud all in the same instant. I clutched Lucy until I felt that I landed. Unfortunately for me, I didn't—I just kept falling.

I felt a wave of feelings after that. First I was mad that she pushed me. Then I wondered why. Then I was a total blank, and then so on and so forth. It was weird. I had time to think. I should be at the bottom at the hole by now. Why wasn't I hitting the floor and becoming a mere splatter? At this rate, increasing velocity, increasing momentum, with little air resistance, I should become a pancake by now. Now why wasn't I? (Did I just think that? Woah. Brain power.)

After the fact that I was scared, I started enjoying it. It was exhilarating! It was as if you were in a wind tunnel, although I have never been in one; I supposed it was like this, except you were falling down. And just when I was getting used to the feeling of the tunnel/hole, I started _falling_. I mean, _falling_, falling. I began to see the end of the tunnel. I screamed and held on to Lucy for dear life, suddenly remembering what Alex said. I kept on falling until I fell, a crumpled heap on a rocky, terra cotta cave floor. Great, another cave.

I studied my surroundings. Everything looked the same. I groaned, partly from the pain my arm was in, and then from not knowing what to do. I looked at Lucy for more inspiration. She looked about as blank as I was. I maneuvered Lucy around to try rubbing my sore elbows. As I swiveled around, was when I saw something that stopped me in my tracks. My mom and dad were right there; right there not far off into the cave when I knew there were hundreds of miles away. I almost cried when I saw them, I had no idea I missed them so much. I started to run towards them, with Lucy in tow, until I heard them screaming.

"Percy, let me go!" Mom screamed.

Tears were streaming down her face. Dad was holding around her waist, trying to pull her away from that gaping hole that they were so perilously close to; her right arm out stretched trying to reach the mysterious hole. She tried to pull away from dad, screaming hysterically and crying incoherent noises. Dad looked like he was in so much pain, but was refusing to cry. It seemed as if he was internally debating weather to let her go and jump in with her. I wanted to help Dad pull Mom away, since the hole looked so dark and foreboding.

"No, Annabeth! Don't do it! I can't lose you too!" Dad screamed back, trying to reason with Mom. "Annabeth!"

"No, Percy!! Percy! Let me go!! Let me get in there! Percy!!!" Mom cried shaking her head, unrelenting in her drive.

"Annabeth! You can't do it! The gods wouldn't let you! You wouldn't be able to! Once you get into that hold, you'll never be able to get back! Annabeth, I can't lose you!"

Now Mom was on her knees, begging for Dad to let her go. She was still screaming and crying. Dad now had tears on his face. Dad was on the ground with her, tightly and a bit forcefully holding Mom close. She finally gave in, collapsed and cried on his shoulder, sobbing and sniffling; wailing for all that was worth.

They weren't the Mom and Dad I grew up with. They weren't. They just aren't! Mom isn't like that! She's calm and thoughtful. She wouldn't do this. And Dad…Dad is dad. He isn't the type to scream out feelings. He just isn't. These aren't my parents. These aren't my parents. My parents are different. They are. They are different. Happy. These aren't my parents.

But I knew they were.

I went up to them and stepped in front of Dad.

"Dad?" I asked tentatively.

He looked up oddly, eyes alight with a strange hope—one that knows what cannot be true, but still wishes it to be, so much that one hopes for it anyway. He saw me and then looked at me with pained eyes.

"I-I'm sorry. Not "Dad". I-I'm-I'm not…" His voice broke. I took a gulp. "I'm not a dad."

Mom looked up now. Her face was red and she was struggling to take breaths. She looked at me oddly, even through puffy eyes. And like the Mom I knew, she stood up. Dad helped and supported her, like he always did, and Mom him.

Then she looked at me with slightly glazed eyes, a bit different then before, but not much. She took two slightly wobbly steps and came over to me. I hesitated, grasped Lucy and took an uncertain step back. She gazed intensely at me. She was around my height, about an inch taller than me. (Mom at home was about two inches taller. Young Dad was four.)

"Mom?" she asked.

At this mention, Dad slowly turned to look at her. "Annabeth. That's not…That's not…" His voice broke again. Now his eyes were slightly glazed, out of place, mind off in another world.

"Then who is she?" Mom looked as if she was about to cry, all her guards were down. She looked betrayed, guilty, and everything else you could imagine when the words "hopelessness" and "despair" come to mind. She was so uncertain. She wasn't the strong mother I admired so; and it was the same thing with Dad. It was…unnerving.

They didn't know me. I knew they didn't know me. I don't think I was born yet. But…not being recognized by your own parents…it's…saddening. But I knew they needed help. I took a deep breath, rationalizing to myself, trying to not let more tears fall. I wasn't born yet. Mom and Dad are married. But I wasn't born yet. They don't know me. It's not their fault. They're younger, about twenty-five. I am not born yet, I kept repeating. I braced myself for what I was about to do.

"I am Akantha. People call me Kallie," I said, introducing myself to my not-yet-parents. I gestured to Lucy in my arms. "This is Lucy."

"Annabeth," Young-Mom said. "That man over there is Percy."

"Hi," Young-Dad managed to croak. "Nice to meet you."

I nodded. "Are you two married?"

Young-Mom looked pained. Dad stepped up and cradled her close to him. "For six years. We're both twenty-six," he explained while gently rubbing Mom's back.

I looked at Young-Mom and Young-Dad and found my eyes looking away or at my feet. Then I saw my favorite messenger bag on the floor. It was completely gray, with an emblazoned with a fanciful letter "A" on the bottom right on the front, threaded with the color of sea blue. I ran towards it and picked it up. Young-Dad saw me.

"Hey!" he said, fire returning slightly to his eyes. "That's Annabeth's!"

I held onto it tighter. "Oh, I'm sorry." I walked over to them. "Here," I said, handing Young-Dad the bag. "Is it important?"

His lips twitched up slightly. "Yeah…Remember, Annabeth?"

Young-Mom turned her head to look at the bag. She managed to slightly smile as well. "Yeah. You gave that to me for my sixteenth birthday. I screamed at you for ten minutes and wouldn't talk to you for an hour." Both of them laughed a little. "I was so angry that you gave me something so impractical for a demigod. And it was my sixteenth birthday! I thought that was all you gave me, and since it was the week before we waged war against the Titan Lord, I thought you would give me something better." She smiled again and reached down into her shirt and pulled out a necklace.

It was almost completely blue. The beads were strung together by a strong but thin silver chain. On the chain were tiny porcelain beads, light blue in color, all nearly a centimeter apart. At the middle hung a larger, medium sized bead, a darker blue, wound with gray. Hanging from the larger bead were three small blue chains that lain on her skin and then u-turned to be attached to the part of the chain near her collar bone.

"And that night…by the river, I gave you that necklace," Young-Dad said while Young-Mom fingered her necklace. I recognized that necklace. Mom wore it every day, even to non-special occasions, never seeming to take it off.

She hugged Young-Dad tightly, managing to plant a kiss on his cheek. "Thank you, Seaweed Brain."

"You're welcome, Wise Girl." He kissed her cheek back. Mom smiled and sniffled a bit.

Then they turned their attention to me.

"What are you doing here?" Young-Mom asked suspicious, brain beginning to move like clockwork.

"How did you even get _in_?" Young-Dad asked in disbelief.

"I…uh…it…" I struggled for words.

"We absolutely _must _bring you to Camp," Young-Mom continued.

"Yes, we must. See what Chiron thinks."

"Maybe Thalia will be there."

"Yeah. Get her opinion too."

Honestly, I wanted to bolt right from there.

**x-:Luu:-x**

_**A/N: **__I was so surprised! When I posted the second Book, the hits doubled! And then it doubled again!! I'm very thankful to you all! _

_And thank you to _tobey6194, hogwartsgirl52, and bloomingauthor7_ for three more marvelous reviews!! _

_**tobey6194:**__ More of Alex will be revealed, just you wait and see!_

_**hogwartsgirl52:**__ Thank you for the review!!_

_**bloomingauthor7:**__ I'm so glad you liked it that much!!!! _


	4. Book Four: The Beginning of the End

**A/N: **I'm** really** sorry for the delay of this chapter! My computer crashed. It was horrible. I tried to back it up but it didn't work. So it was in the shop all this time. And then, when I _finally_ got it back, **_all_** my files were **_gone_**! So I had to type this chapter out again. D: Again, I apologize completely.

**Book Four: The Beginning of the End**

It all started with a dream. I had had that same dream before, when I was younger. Looking back, it did not occur to me that it would be something of mild importance. I thought that it was only a dream. After all, a dream is still a dream no matter how strange it might be. I would later on learn how terribly wrong I was.

Only now do I realize that a single second in a dream would make all the difference in the world. The ancient stories depict a type of forewarning in their dreams. Usually the dreams are sent by the gods. People say it's the result of an overactive imagination. (These are the people who usually get hurt first.) More often than not, some god or other intervenes.

The first time I had the dream was when I was five. The second time I had this dream was an ominous warning that I ignored. Perhaps I forgot the first time I had the dream, or I had simply chose to forget it. Either way, I wasn't aware. That would eventually be my fatal mistake; that I know even now.

The third and last time I had this erratic dream was after I saw Annabeth and Percy. (Even though Annabeth and Percy are my mother and father, I choose to call them by their first names to prevent confusion. Also, this acknowledges that they are not my parents that are trained to deal with me.)

My dream was an incredibly awe inspiring type of dream. Before my brief experiences with the mystic world of the gods, I would never have believed it was possible. Of course, the happenings were never stated in _Greek_ mythology.

Like how all dreams end, I woke up. On the contrary, I woke up to find my self in my dream. I had woken up inside the cavern that I had fallen asleep in. I was then blinded by the sudden burst of light. I blinked to try to clear my eyesight. It very peculiar. Once I regained my eyesight, a sudden pain immediately raced through my right arm. I looked at it trying to see what caused this white hot pain.

I was shocked to see that my right arm was now tattooed. It had the intricate designs of black lace gloves, flowery and flowing in design. It seemed to start on my middle finger, wrapping around only the bottom most part like a ring, then continuing to run across the length of my arm only to stop right below the elbow; weaving into little leaves and lines to an end. Bright lights of power started to illuminate every line and detail; burning like wildfire.

It was a few moments of peace before the real pain started to surface. I tried to shake off my arm, trying to gnaw it off—but that only irritated the markings and causing it burn with rage. I looked for a near by water source big enough to submerge myself in so I could begin to quench the fire. If being in water enables be to have a multitude of abilities that I couldn't have on land, it should help me now. I prayed and prayed for a lake, a river—something to help me. I ran around and around like a mad man.

As if the gods were answering my prayers, a sudden water source came into view. I quickly jumped into the water and hoped for the best. The pain in my arm lessened incredulously. That is where everything had ended for the first two dreams. The first two times I had broken into a cold sweat after, arm tingling strangely for some unexplained reason. But the third time had not ended so mercilessly.

As soon as I had jumped in, I was completely submerged. Then, after a few seconds of not being able to hold my breath, I tried to swim to the surface. I was puzzled. I could do this before. I had thought. Why couldn't I do it now? Thoughts like that ran through my head a million miles per hour. As soon as I reached the surface, I saw with a sinking heart that the top had completely frozen. I screamed and kicked, letting few precious air bubbles run free. I pounded against the surface of the ice, the freezing cold water slowly torturing me with its icy daggers slicing through my skin.

I turned around to try to find a thinner area of ice and then screamed. A pale blue ghost of a corpse was staring me in the face, expressionless and uninviting. She was a beautiful sort of creature. Although dead and unmoving except for the water movements, her hair was flowing : long and luxurious. Even though they were now blue, you could tell her eyes were light and luscious. To summarize, she was practically near perfect—looks that you could kill for. And she looked strangely familiar...somewhere recent. Neriel! And with that realization, her expressionless face suddenly broke into a smiling wolfish, devilish smile, eyes rolling even further backwards, and bulleted straight towards me.

With that last chilling image, I awoke. I had awoken in my room. It wasn't going to be my room for another six years, but I guess the gods have an ironic sense of humor of sorts and gave me my future room. And now I stood leaning on my balcony, right arm propped up against the snow white railing, palm cupping my chin, mulling over my dream. I had been mulling for days now, especially with nothing else to do since I left that maze and traversed back to land.

It was a boring sort of day, like after the first week of summer break when you realize that you are totally bored. It was like that, but not as bad because thoughts and ideas were filling my mind. I think I could write a novel with all the ideas I've had. It was sunny once more, brighting the whole earth with it's radiance. The clouds freely swam through the air in packs that ranged in size. It would have been even more beautiful if I had paid even more attention.

Every so often, I would think of Alex and what he was thinking or doing, all alone on that island. And then my mind would run off with itself once more and I would imagine that he magically grew wings and flew away (or something or other), so when I got back, I wouldn't find him there and then _I_ would be the one stranded. So that started me thinking if I would really get back at all. It was a very confusing circle of thoughts that passed the time.

But not until yesterday did Annabeth reveal the treasure I adored. She gave me a computer! Well, it wasn't mine. She just gave me one to use. It was in the study that she had constructed a few years back. It was filled to the roof with books, encyclopedias, blueprints and the occasional cat that would wander around here (whom I named Neri). It looked really antique, like one of those eighteenth century studies. There was a Persian rug too, all topped off with a large portrait of Percy and Annabeth over a fireplace.

In the painting they had worn handsome outfits that fitted the style of a old English house. Percy was wearing a suit, standing up, hair cut short and trim wearing his "father" spectacles and one hand on Annabeth's shoulder. Her hair was long and flowing, slightly curled with her gray eyes shining brighter than ever. She was sitting on an old styled, fancy wooden chair.

The air of the painted matched the air of the room. Everything looked marvelous. Then there was a door leading to a more modernized room. There held three computers. Annabeth said I could access this room any time I wanted. I was glad because it gave me something to spend my time on.

As I thought of everything that was going on once more on my spot on the balcony, Annabeth came quietly up behind me. She stood there for a while, looking at my back before she said anything.

"Kallie?" she asked quietly.

"Yeah?" I said, not turning around.

She sighed and then came up next to me. "The view is beautiful, isn't it?"

I nodded mutely. Even though I didn't say anything, I smiled. The house overlooked a plenitude of lush, green grass. Trees were scattered, with no apparent pattern. Flowers sprung where ever they pleased. And then there was that watering hole I used to go to with Dad. You could see it from here. It was amazing.

Annabeth continued the one-sided conversation. "Doesn't it look like a sea of grass you could lie in forever?"

"Yeah...It looks so soft..." I answered. It _was_ soft. A brief memory of Dad and I rolling in the grass laughing so hard that even Mom joined us flashed through my mind.

"Want to go down there?"

"Maybe later."

"What's wrong?"

It was my turn to sigh. "No...nothing."

She looked worriedly on me. "Alright then."

It was strange. She didn't seem mad at all. Usually, Mom would at least blow a small fuse when I underwent my "Teenage Faze," as Mom called it. I went to my bed and flopped onto it, sighing again. I grabbed Lucy and hugged her tight. I looked at the ceiling blankly, nothing coming to me.

I looked at Lucy and then it came to me. I would go down to the water hole to spend the rest of my day. It was simple, clean, silent and beautiful. It was like the clearing in that forest that Alex and I came upon, except the forest extended from the crescent of forest—and there was no waterfall, just a big lake that the forest trees made a crescent around. I took a hold of Lucy and went downstairs. These days, I don't let Lucy out of my sight.

"Percy! Annabeth!" I called, walking down the massive flight of stairs. "I'm going out to explore!" When no one answered, I shrugged and continued merrily on my way.

In ten minutes time, I was at my destination. It was just as I had remembered it, just without as much trees. It was still as radiant as it would ever be. A sense of foreboding flooded my brain, but I ignored it, pushed it out of my mind. I immediately jumped into the lake with Lucy in tow, hoping for a cleansing.

It was wonderful. My heightened senses felt great. I was awestruck of the power of the gods. If I felt this way, only a descendant of one of the most powerful beings on earth, what could they be feeling? And they had the burden of the whole world on their shoulders! For a moment I was terrified for all it was worth. I trembled and sent shock waves through the whole body of water, barely noticing.

But while being terrified of myself, out of the corner of my eye I saw a small girl struggling for air. She was a young girl of about six, with a shoulder-length blond hair cut flowing about her head. He little ankle was trapped—tangled in a seaweed forest at the deepest point in the lake.

The lake was my terrain, I knew it well, so I immediately rushed to her aid. I tried to calm her with everything I had. She was frantic, eyes bulging, cheeks puffed _out _like a puffer fish, hands clawing away at empty water. I took hold of her shoulders, no easy task, and held her still. Thankfully, she got the message and stopped struggling for the moment. I blew out a few bubbles of air, looking at the tangled mess.

I looked at the girl, for she had gone a little to slack for her own good. Her eyes were closed and was floating in the water. She had fainted from air loss. In another moment, she would be breathing in air. I quickly willed an air bubble to form a temporary oxygen tank for her. I knew it wouldn't last long. Suddenly, several fish came to watch. I looked at them and they swam happily around me.

"Try to help?" I asked.

_Of course! _they bubbled.

"Can some of you keep an eye on the girl?" I said, still looking at the complicated knots. "Tell me when she wakes." Almost immediately, two of them kept a close eye on the unconscious girl, while I reached for the knot, using both hands to try and untangle the mess. I pulled and pulled, swerved and tried to go with the flow of the seaweed.

_Mistress! _Two of the fish swam towards me hurriedly. _She's beginning to wake! _they said alarmed.

I looked at her. It was true. She was stirring, face frowning, wondering why the body wasn't breathing. In another moment, she'll be frantic again and make the knot worse. The seaweed was too tight for me to work with. Before she tried to swim, I could have done it, but when she swam, more of it joined with the beginning seaweed and tightened the knot. If only I had time!

"Any of you got teeth?" I asked, fighting to stay calm.

A breed of fish I've never seen loyally swam up to me in a straight line, six in number. They "grinned," showing their razor sharp teeth. _How shall we be of service, my lady? _they chorused.

I pointed at the length of seaweed tying her foot. "Half of you start chewing. The other half, come here, close to the ankle." They did as was told. I quickly addressed the fish closest to me. "Chew on the circlet of seaweed. Work quickly, but do not, and I mean _do not_ draw blood."

I swam near the torso of the child. I took hold of her shoulders with my hands, wrapped my arms around her and hugged her close. I pulled, making the seaweed tight and taut. That enabled the fish to chew faster and easier, but only stopped them for a brief moment. I paused, holding the small girl tighter with every passing second, as she was struggling more and more.

Finally, both her and her ankle were free. Immediately I swam up to the surface. I laid her onto the ground, which was starting to moist from her soaked clothing. I pressed my ear to her chest and heard a faint heartbeat. I sighed. It wasn't too late; she was alive. I brought her up to the sitting position. She groaned tried to talk and instead coughed up water. I rubbed her back all the while she was retching water over to the side of a nearby tree. When she was done, she fell asleep.

I looked on her smiling, because she was sleeping contentedly, breathing in and out. And then, to my horror, a chilling realization reached my brains. As I tried to hug Lucy, I only grasped empty air. I had forgotten her in the lake. While I was trying to save the drowning child, I had lost Lucy. While I had saved a child, I lost my one and only precious thing that I had with me on this journey. The only remnant other than the wallet-pouch I had of my home. I dived into the lake once more to try and save her, dread filling my senses. I just had to find her. I just had to.

"Lucy..." I kept on whispering, head swiveling in every direction to try and spot a glimpse of my beloved plush.

Fish swam around me once more. _Are you visiting us this time, Mistress?_

I looked at them with wide eyes. "No! Not yet! I need your help! My Lucy! Lucy! Lucy's gone!" I almost screamed. "Please! Help me find her!"

_The turtle you were carrying? _one fish asked.

I nodded furiously.

All the fish bubbled sadly. _It's gone, mistress. _

"What?" I cried. "What do you mean gone?!"

_She has been taken into the Sky Lord's domain. She has been taken into the Sky Lord's domain. _

As the fish spoke, I saw a flash of light spiraling upwards. I quickly swam up with it, reaching shore at a record speed. I saw with a growing horror that Lucy was that spiraling light. Right in the center of the light was Lucy. The tube of light quickly retracted and it zipped up into the air, completing the orb of light. It then suddenly disappeared, every trace of anything gone. I screamed and cried, crumpling into a heap on the floor.

Then, a bright light engulfed my whole person, a familiar warm light that grew hotter with every passing second. I cried and screamed even harder, from the pain of loss and burning physical pain that was being inflicted. I finally screamed for one more second until I briefly saw the light being concentrated to my right side. An even more familiar pain engulfed my right arm, right before the darkness enveloped me.

**..::xXLuuXx::..**

I woke up in a room this time. I'm not sure if this is reality or not. I only know that I'll live it out. It was sort of wooden. It was sort of modern. It was like a hybrid cabin in the woods. I looked up. It was scary, not having something to hug. I know it's incredibly babyish and stupid to cry and whine about a stuffed toy. But, dammit, it had sentimental value and I loved my Lucy. It was saddening.

I was in a very warm bed. It was pure white like the snow, except for the trimmings of blue designs on the spread. It was like sleeping on air. A light blue blanket covered my whole body, except for my arms, which were laying on top of the covers. I felt a familiar tingling in my arm, like right after I had _that_ dream. I lifted my right arm so I could see it. I touched it, a bit uncomprehending, a bit unaware and awed. It was real. It wasn't a dream. I really had this mysterious tattoo on my arm. It had the markings of my dream.

I heard a door open. Clamoring footsteps. The squeak of wheels turning. Then a thud. A bit later, I felt the delayed feeling of a person tightly holding onto my side. I looked down. A blond head was buried into my side. I looked towards my left, towards the door, with out lifting my head.

I saw a smiling man in a wheelchair. "Hello," he greeted. "How are you feeling?"

I turned my head back towards the ceiling. "Dazed." I paused. "Where am I? Who are you?"

"I am Chiron," he answered. "Welcome to Camp Half-Blood."


	5. Book Five: My Welcoming Party at Camp

**Book Five: My Welcoming Party at Camp Half-Blood**

"Chiron. My name is Chiron," he said more gently.

I turned to look at him. His hair was starting to thin, with white hairs poking out here and there. I caught a whiff of coffee from his clothes, which made him seem all the more homely. I appreciated that. He had a small bread growing on his chin (it was borderline stubble), and kind eyes that seemed very much alive, despite his calm exterior. I guessed he was around 36 or something; which seemed to contrast him being in his motorized wheel chair.

"I'm Kallie," I replied, returning the favor.

He rolled over to me. "Do you know what happened?"

I started to shake my head, but stopped when the pain started to return. "No, I don't. What did happen?"

He looked worriedly at me, and then started to change the subject. "Well, nothing much. Are you hungry?" He reached a hand towards the shoulder of the small girl. "Neriel, can you go get her some food?"

She looked up and nodded. She looked at me and smiled. "I'll be right back," she squeaked happily.

"Neriel?"

Chiron sighed. "Yes...she came her a year ago and hasn't left since. No one has claimed her yet, but she's still very optimistic."

"What happened?" She had the same name as the blue spirit! Why? Thoughts ran through my head, but after a while, it hurt so I stopped trying to understand. "How old is she?"

He looked at me with piercing eyes. "She's orphaned. Not one single soul in this camp knows who her parents are. She just walked right through the barrier without so much as a scratch. She was tired, and practically in rags. It wasn't the prettiest sight for a girl her age. She doesn't speak of what happened to her, ever. When you try, she just shuts up inside until the subject changes. She's actually really very quiet, you know. As a matter of fact...she hardly speaks a word.

He paused. "And to answer your question, Kallie, only approximate guesses have been made. Some think five, six this year. Other's eight. Ten. A million and ten. And so on and so forth."

"Why was she in the lake?"

"She hasn't said." And then with out warning, "Ah, here she comes now!"

"Kallie!" Neriel called happily, trying to balance a tray (a small cup of little golden cubes of pudding and a cup full of something that looked vaguely like honey) without tripping over her little feet. She rushed to my side.

I tried to sit up, but was stopped by Chiron. "No, no. Kallie, you need to rest. In another day's time, I'll be back to check up on you." With that, he whirred out the door in his wheelchair.

I turned to look at Neriel. "Uh...Hi?" I said, unsure of what to say.

She beamed. "Hi!" she said, and then, "Are you feeling better?"

Okay, I don't care what Chiron had said. She could hold a conversation damn well. She was smiling, peppy, happy, and _talking_, helpful,_ and talking_...

I looked at her. She seemed much better, although there were still some lines under her eyes. She was a little limp, but otherwise in tip-top shape. (But, like I've learned, somethings are not what they seem to be.)

"I'm fine, thanks." I tried to sit up again. I successfully moved up half an inch. "What about you? You should be resting."

She shook her head, and her hair bobbled like mad, but in a cute-childish-adorable kind of way. "No! I'm fine. You should be resting." She used two of her hands to hold up the glass of amber liquid and then held it out to me. "Drink," she ordered.

I complied to the little girl (that was perhaps half my age) who was giving me orders. A big blow to my self esteem, I assure you. I took the glass, struggled a little bit to keep it in hand, and held it to my lips. I tasted a bit, tentative of the swirling substance. I looked at it quizzically. "Uh..."

Neriel looked at me worriedly. "You don't like it?"

"N-no...it's not that...um...it's just that..." I thought of how to phrase this to a little girl. "What the heck is this?"

She giggled. "It's nectar!"

"Issawah?" I asked. That came out wrong. I had meant it to be "It's what?" (I started to drink it again. I mean...wow. It was _good_. Before I knew it, I had drained the whole thing.)

"It's nectar!" She looked at me, eyes shining. "What's it taste like?"

"Double chocolate-chip chocolate fudge cookies with chocolate sauce on top. My mom makes it at home. But she makes it blue sometimes." I looked at it, suddenly utterly homesick. "It doesn't look it though."

She laughed again. "It's not supposed to!" I had stopped trying to understand the food, so I shrugged. Then she handed me the small cup of pudding. "Eat," she ordered this time.

I put a spoonful in to my mouth, wondering what the jackpot would be this time. I amused Neriel by swishing it around my mouth, like and expert wine taster. She laughed hysterically and I couldn't help but smile too. Finally when I swallowed, I said, "Soda. Lime-ish-coke-ish soda."

The solids tastes like liquid and the liquids taste like solids. Awesome. Neriel giggled into her hands some more. Her laughter was seriously infectious. I started to laugh a bit more, trying not to overdo it, so I wouldn't be in so much pain, and I started to spoon more into my mouth. But before the silver spoon reached my mouth, Neriel suddenly screamed.

"Stop!" she cried, rushing over to my side, little arm reaching out towards the spoon. "You can't eat that much! It'll hurt you!"

I knew better than to disobey Neriel, so, a little bit disappointed, I gave it all back and she put it back neatly on the tray. She started to carry the tray out. "See you later Kallie! I'm sure you'll feel better in no time!"

True to her word, a warm feeling spread through out my body, filling it with a comfortable renewed strength. I smiled, amazed at what somethings could do, and nestled into my bed once more, falling fast asleep in moments.

**..::xXLuuXx::..**

I slept a peaceful, dreamless sleep. I don't know whether it was reliving or confusing, because frankly, I was afraid of what would happen this time. With Lucy gone, I had nothing to hold onto. Maybe that was it. Just maybe.

That morning would be a very busy one. I slept until eight, but right when I was at the zenith of my peaceful sleep, I was deeply disturbed by a little bundle of mass that jumped onto my bed with a soft but hard _thunk_.

I groaned. And tried to swat at the thing that was disturbing me. Neriel squealed with laughter. Since the bulge didn't budge, I swatted again, more awake this time. Neriel grew braver and she shook me.

"Get up, you potato!" she shrieked happily.

I opened an eye, and was still pretending to sleep. She paused for a moment, seeing that I was faking, so I grabbed her around the waist and started tickling her like crazy. Neriel laughed and laughed, like any kid would.

"Ahahah! Ahah! Hahahah!" she laughed. "No! No!—Ahahah!—Kallie—Ahaha!"

"Rawr!!" I said, mock terrorizing.

Neriel turned out to be one feisty little critter. Once I stopped tickling her, she started tickling _me_. So much for my pride.

"Payback time!" she said smiling, tickling me for all it was worth.

I guessed we were very loud. People started gathering outside the door, looking at us. Just so you know, I hated being a caged spectacle. I tapped Neriel gently in the side with my foot. The critter was smart. She got the message and stopped. Both of us looked out side the door at _them_. How's they like that? Turn the tables on them! Murahahahah...Ahem.

"What's going on here!" I heard a voice shout.

Then I heard whispers of, "It's Mr. D!" and "Scram!!"

Whatever it was, it must've been bad, this "Mr. D." I looked at Neriel questioningly, but she wasn't there. Somehow, she slipped away without me noticing. I got up, being able to because I was feeling much, much better, and started searching. As I was getting up, it was then that I first saw Mr. D. Or, Mr. Director, as he introduced himself. Okay, he didn't say, "Mr. Director," just "Mister D." I suspected he _actually_ spelled "Mr." out, with fancy script and all. I mean, who does that, in this day and age?

"Ah," he breathed. "It's _you_."

"Um...yeah. It's me," I answered. I didn't mean for it to be cheeky, really. But I think he took it that way, because his eyes narrowed, as far as little piggy eyes could go.

No offense but _seriously_! He was like my dad described someone, a "hubbub." (And then, Mom would correct him, saying 'Cherub, Percy, cherub!' and then getting flustered about being insulting or something or other and then groan 'Percy!') All in all, this "Mister D" was an overgrown, overweight, over _pink_, middle-age, hubbub. Maybe it wasn't his fault.

"So...what in the world did you do to bring me from my resting place?" he silently thundered.

I gulped. "Winning streak, sir?" Couldn't hurt to butter him up a bit, eh?

"Hm...I quite like that, right off the bat." He coughed. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Um...resting, sir."

"Quite." He looked at me. "Well...that's all." Then he left.

He left? He _left_? What? What person in their right mind _leaves _after getting prepared to scold? This place is weird. And I miss Chiron. Okay, not really. But better him than Mr. D. I mean, really. I doubt anyone would prefer Mr. Happy-Juice-Guy-Wearing-Hawaiian-Tee-Shirts to Chiron.

And where was Neriel? And then, right on cue, Neriel popped up behind me and sighed heavily. Where'd she come from? Speak of the Devil. It was scary, honestly. If I hadn't known better, I'd say that she could disappear. Maybe she could.

"You were let off easy, Kallie," she said. How the _heck_ did she do that? Downright unnerving.

I sighed too. "I know. Who was he?"

"He's the camp director, Mr. D. He's here on probation or something."

"For what?"

"I dunno. I think he angered Zeus or something." She shrugged.

I looked out the door. "Oh well." I looked back at her. What's on the agenda today, Miss Tour Guide?"

She smiled and grabbed my hand. "Come on," she said, pulling me off my feet.

She had let go of my hand so I started to run after her. She was one quick little bugger. It wasn't like I was tired or anything... Man! Kids these days have a lot of energy! (Okay, that made me sound and feel incredibly old.)

"Kallie!" she yelled, finally stopping a little bit overhead. "Over here!"

As I breathed a bit heavily when I reached Neriel, I saw Chiron sitting in his wheelchair under a nearby tree, reading a rather thick book. As Neriel and I approached, he looked up and smiled, his spectacles sliding off his nose a fraction.

"Ah, Kallie! You've arrived. I do hope you're feeling better?" he exclaimed.

I nodded. "Yes, sir."

At this he frowned. "Now, you don't need to use such formalities with me. It's only Mr. D who desires such things." He leaned in closer to me. "I daresay he has superiority issues."

I highly doubt if it was a camper who said such things, Mr. D would have killed them off in an instant—and that would be a light punishment. Chiron is incredibly brave, honestly. That Mr. D is a very scary sort. I was glad that Chiron was a nice fellow; the type that you could most definitely count on.

I smiled a bit. "Yes, si—Chiron. I'll work on it."

He smiled too. "Good. Now on to much more serious business." He was just about to close the book when he stopped. He leaned over his wheelchair, searching. "Where is that blasted bookmark?" Neriel ran up to him holding a piece of written on parchment. He smiled and took it. "Ah, thank you dear." She went under the other side of the tree and sat down, no doubt listening in. Then, Chiron looked at me solemnly.

"What is it?" I asked.

He sighed heavily. "Kallie. How much do you know? Concerning yourself?"

"Um...that...I am a half-blood, which means I was born with _really_ ancient lineage. And they move with the height of civilization."

Although that wasn't _all _that I knew, I've read enough sci-fi to know that if this _was_ the past, if I do something to screw it up, I'll screw up the future too. So, I'm not going to release anything that might do so. As all of the time travel movies go, " or the result would be catastrophic!!" And catastrophic doesn't sound all too pretty.

"Alright, so you do know that the Gods do exist?"

I nodded. "What about them?"

"Well, until you're claimed, we can't tell anything just yet." He shifted around in his wheelchair as if his legs were asleep and frightfully uncomfortable. "Come. Let's Neriel and I show you to your lodgings. We'll give you a quick tour while we're at it." He whirred past me. "Shall we?" he said, smiling.

I smiled. "Okay."

As he said, it was a quick tour. There were the North Woods and South Woods, separated by the Zephyros Creek, near Long Island. Surrounding it were the stables, armory, arena, the cabins, and the mess hall, in that order. Then the Euros Creek (and a lake around the middle) separated all that from the Climbing wall, amphitheater, the arts and crafts room, the volley ball courts (which were relatively close to the Big House, compared to how everything else was spaced apart). There also was a huge patch of lands that were the Strawberry Fields. There was even a beach for fireworks! (Incidentally, it's called the Fireworks Beach.) All that was closed off by the force field/ property line which never let any mortal in, powered by Thalia's pine with the Golden Fleece. (There was a whole story on the fleece too, as Chiron told me happily, but he didn't tell me this time.)

We headed towards the Cabins, all twelve of them. (Apparently, Hermes wasn't all that welcomed so he doesn't have a cabin.) Two of the biggest houses stood majestically at the front, The Zeus cabin (cabin one) on the left, and the Hera cabin (cabin two) on the right. To Cabin One's right were Cabin Three, Five, Seven, Nine and Eleven. (Poseidon, Ares, Apollo, Hephaestus, and Hermes.) The evens, Demeter, Athena, Artemis, Aphrodite, and Dionysus, were on the right

"You'll be in Cabin Eleven," Chiron said. "Unless you're claimed, you'll sleep in there. I'm afraid it's a bit crowded, but it'll do for now. Unless we're going to get approved and properly funded, we can't expand the cabin." He shook his head in dismay. "But, this year, more half-bloods have been claimed, so Cabin Eleven is mostly Hermes' children now; not as crowded." Seems to be the work of a Percy Jackson." My breath caught in my throat, but I hoped that Chiron didn't notice.

"Uh...Chiron?" I asked.

"Hm?"

"Where's the baths?" I mean _really_. I guess the didn't have bath's in ancient Greece. Wait a minute. They did!! They did! If I recall, they had public bath houses! Or was that the Romans? But the God's were there too, so they should have _baths_.

"There are several washrooms strategically place around camp. There's one near the mess hall, cabins, beach, Big House, and the amphitheater," he said. "The Hermes Counselor will tell you what's what. Now in you go."

The outside of this cabin looked really old, like an old cabin in the woods. A caduceus was carved overhead, and a large brass number eleven was hanging over the door. I went in, and took in my surroundings. There were two bunk beds lining each wall, and a couple sleeping bags neatly arranged on the wooden floor. There were about ten people in that room, all the bunk beds filled, and some of the sleeping bags empty. All ten pairs of eyes looked at me.

A girl about eighteen came up to me and smiled. She had brown hair that was slightly curled. She wore an bright orange tee-shirt also, witch bore the letters "Camp Half-Blood" sprawled on it. Her eyes were a charming hazel and her smile seemed very warm. She was peppy and seemed like the nice older sister.

"Hi, I'm Cheyenne! Welcome to the Hermes Cabin!" she said. "I'm the counselor here. You can have that empty sleeping bag next to Jeremy over there. I'm sorry that you can't have a bunk, but the senior Hermes Campers sleep there, and the positions are filled."

As soon as I went to my assigned spot, all the chatting and stuff resumed once more. Of course, not without the glory of shielding their staring at my right hand, with the markings. I feel _so_ very welcomed.

Jeremy was a small spindly boy, about my age, who had a slightly dark look in his eyes, that seemed to emit a loneliness about him. I'm betting he was one of the unclaimed ones. I walked up to him and smiled. "Hi. I'm Kallie."

He smiled weakly back. "Hey, Kallie."

"So...uh...what's up?" Can't you tell? I'm absolutely _great_ at starting new relationships!

He looked at me strangely. "Nothing much." Talkative, isn't he?

"How long have you been here?"

"A year," he said. "But I've only been here during the summer. This is my second summer here."

I nodded. "Are you here...um...permanently?"

He looked at me even more strangely. "If you're trying to say if I've been claimed or not, no, I haven't."

"Oh. I said. I'm sorry," I said, looking down.

He laughed a bit bitterly. "No, nothing to be sorry about." Then his expression softened. "It's okay. So who is the divine side of your family? Mom or dad?"

How should I answer this? "I don't know. I can't remember." Darn I lied. Uh-oh. I know this is going to bite me in the butt later. I just know it.

Now it was Jeremy's turn to look saddened. I think that he thinks I'm orphaned. "Oh."

"Yeah, well, it's not your fault. What about you?"

"Dad. My mom is the best." He smiled fondly at the memory.

"How old are you?" I asked.

"Fifteen. I just turned."

"Oh, a summer baby!" I exclaimed. "I'm an autumn myself. Late autumn."

"When were you born?"

"November twenty-sixth. You?"

"July fifteen."

I was about o ask another question when a sudden thought occurred to me. "Oh! I'm sorry! I'm bugging you with all these questions!" I covered my face with my hands, and then peeked at him when I spread the fingers on my right hand. "Ugh, you think I'm a prick now, don't you?"

He smiled and shook his head. "Naw." He got up, and I looked at him. He smiled again and held out a helping hand. "Come on. It's about time for the Hermes' archery lessons."

I smiled and took his hand with mine. As soon as I did, wolf whistles and "oooh!" came across the room. Both of us let go in an instant, looking away, blushing. Then laughter from all of us. I was glad. Even though they were demi-gods, they were still kids. It's good to know that it didn't make them any less of kids.

But despite the laughter, I couldn't help but think. A _weapon_ in _my_ hands? Hell would honestly reign when my hands touch any harmful object. I was truly terrified.


End file.
